What new census figures say about health insurance in South Dakota
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the number of Americans without health insurance coverage declined from 50 million in 2010 to 48.6 million in 2011. The number of Americans without coverage also declined, from 16.3 percent in 2010 to 15.7 percent in 2011.
What can these census numbers tell us about access insurance in South Dakota? The share of South Dakotans without health insurance remained unchanged* in 2011 at roughly 15 percent of the non-elderly population, according to preliminary state Census Bureau figures.
A deeper dive into current and historic numbers helps clarify the trend as to how non-elderly (under age 65) South Dakotans access health insurance.
A significant trend is the shift away from employer-sponsored insurance, which has decreased from 69 percent of coverage 10 years ago to 59 percent of coverage today. Increased access to Medicaid coverage (primarily for low-income children), an increase in the number of uninsured, and a decrease in those covered by “other” sources (like privately purchased insurance) round out the picture.
These state figures from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey are preliminary. On September 20, the Census Bureau will release more definitive 2011 data as part of the American Community Survey, which is a larger review.
*Changes were not statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.
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